Planning Commission certifies final EIR for Sonoma Valley Water Treatment Plant expansion

The Planning Commission voted to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Sonoma (Seminole) Valley Water Treatment Plant Expansion and Treated Water Reservoir Project, proposed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Brett Becker of the Planning Department’s Major Environmental Analysis Division summarized the EIR timeline and staff’s recommendation that the commission find the final EIR adequate and compliant with CEQA (draft EIR published 06/03/2009, comments and responses document published 11/18/2009). Public commenters raised three recurring concerns: (1) use of publicly owned watershed land as mitigation for construction impacts, which one speaker called inadequate (Jeff Miller, SEG 2112–2193); (2) greenhouse gas emissions from construction and whether significance thresholds have been adequately addressed; and (3) storage and containment of hazardous chemicals (chlorine and others) near Alameda Creek and prior spill history.

Staff and the project team responded that the EIR includes mitigation measures and that the PUC uses standard operating procedures for chemical handling and containment; staff said the EIR determined the project’s contribution to greenhouse gases would not be significant under the analytic approach used for the draft EIR and noted Bay Area Air Quality Management District thresholds were in deliberation at the time.

Following discussion, the commission adopted the certification motion. Commissioners recorded votes in favor: Antonini, Gordon, Lee, Moore, Seguin and McGowan (Commissioner Olague was stepped away during the vote); staff concluded the motion passed unanimously among those present.